This application claims the priority of German Patent Document 100 39 791.3, filed Aug. 16, 2000, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a convertible in which at least one vehicle seat is assigned a windbreak.
In the case of convertibles known in practice, there is inserted in the rear passenger compartment, level with the vehicle belt line, a plate-shaped covering from whose front edge a windbreak protrudes approximately vertically upwards which extends over the entire width of the vehicle and is supported laterally against the roll bar. A windbreak of this type is intended to protect the occupants, and, in particular, the head neck and shoulders of the occupants, against annoying swirling of the airstream flowing in from behind. A windbreak of this type is disclosed, for example, in German Patent Document DE 37 38 500 A1. However, a windbreak causes an even higher negative pressure to arise in the cab, as a result of which the shearing layer of the flow formed behind the front roof cross member is shifted downwards in the direction of the cab and constitutes an increased risk of an air draft due to the airstream from the front.
In German Patent Document DE 198 10 865 A1, a convertible is disclosed having a windbreak which is arranged behind a row of seats, extends upwards over the latter and preferably runs over the entire width of the interior, with additional measures for feeding air from the region behind the windbreak into the passenger compartment being provided. For this purpose, the intention is for at least the upper part of the windbreak, approximately from shoulder height to above the head height of the vehicle occupants, to be formed from a transparent material, preferably a glass pane. As a measure for feeding air from the rear region of the windbreak into the passenger compartment, at least one air duct is provided which originates from a region behind the windbreak and opens into regions of the passenger compartment in which the recirculated air is not found to be annoying by the vehicle occupants.
A windbreak of this type which is transparentxe2x80x94at least in the upper regionxe2x80x94can advantageously result in unimpeded visibility for the vehicle occupants, in particular for the driver looking rearwards. At the same time, an air duct which is described in this laid-open specification ensures that air accumulating on the rear side of the windbreak is recirculated in a controlled manner into the passenger compartment, and, as a result, the negative pressure in the vehicle cab is compensated for. However, the air-passage arrangement described in this publication is relatively complicated and requires a relatively high structural outlay which leads to high costs.
Taking these convertibles known from the prior art as a starting point, an object of the present invention is to provide a windbreak in a convertible in such a manner that the negative pressure in the vehicle cab is compensated for without the occupants being subjected to a draft.
According to certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, an object is achieved in the case of a convertible of the type described at the beginning by at least one windbreak being adapted to an occupant who is on the vehicle seat, an aerodynamic air-guiding device being provided at least in one part of a region bounding the windbreak.
In a convertible of this type, at least one vehicle seat is now assigned a windbreak, this at least one windbreak being adapted to occupants who are on the vehicle seats, and an aerodynamic air-guiding device being provided at least on one side of the windbreak. This means that the air-guiding device can be situated on each part of the region bounding the windbreak. It can therefore be attached on the left, right or top of the windbreak, as seen in the direction of travel.
If an intention is to adapt the windbreak to occupants who are on the vehicle seats, this is to be understood as meaning that the shape and the position of the windbreak are adapted in essence to a generally applicable body shape, and do not have to be adapted in each case to a specific occupant. xe2x80x9cAdaptedxe2x80x9d is intended here to express the fact that the shape and the position are assigned generally to an occupant and do not extend over the entire width of the vehicle.
In the case of the windbreak shape which is described according to certain preferred embodiments of the invention and is adapted to the occupants, firstly, the occupants are protected from the air flowing in from the rear, and secondly, sufficient space is given to the returning air for the purpose of pressure compensation in the cab. Aerodynamic guiding elements assist this recycling of the air in an advantageous manner, so that the occupants do not notice any annoying draft phenomena.
A shape of the windbreak in certain preferred embodiments can advantageously be adapted to the occupants in such a manner that air is guided from the rear into the vehicle cab, for example in the center of the vehicle between the occupants, for the purpose of pressure compensation, with the result that pressure compensation in the vehicle cab is ensured on account of the transporting of the air mass.
In this case, the reduction of the negative pressure, which arises during open-top driving, in the cab due to the targeted supplying of quantities of air into regions which are unproblematical for the occupants, for example the center of the vehicle, and therefore also a shifting upwards of the flow shearing layer can be achieved.
If an aerodynamic air-guiding device is provided at least on a side of the windbreak which faces the adjacent vehicle seat, a nozzle-type effect can be achieved between the windbreak on the driver""s side and the passenger""s side and so the air flowing back into the passenger compartment can be concentrated onto a region which is sufficiently remote from the occupants, with the result that a draft cannot get into the vicinity of the occupants.
Advantageous developments and refinements of the present invention emerge from the further claims, the description and the drawings.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.